On Another Night in Las Vegas . . .

The story goes something like this (you concoct your version of the truth):

An African-American couple is in the back of a limousine in Vegas. There has been tension between them since the moment the limousine arrived. They exchange cross words. The man is aggressive, the woman is angry and scared, but hardly shrinking. They might be drunk, or stoned. They yell louder and louder at one another as the limousine pulls away with them 'safely' ensconced in the back. The fight becomes more animated and turns violent when one of them hits the other. Then the other hits back. Then it's a brawl. Eventually the limousine stops in one of those desolate areas that exist right in the middle of everything everywhere in that unincorporated part of the County called The Strip.

The woman flees from the limousine and vanishes into the night.

The story might end there.

Perhaps the couple reconcile, perhaps they never see each other again. If they are married, they will likely have a divorce, if they are simply lovers, there may be nothing more to say.

This particular couple is married. They have two sons. The woman has run into the night alone. With no money. No idea where she is going.

The man continues along with his night. Perhaps he spends some time looking for the woman, perhaps he doesn't.

The story might end there.

A lover's quarrel? Spousal abuse? Self-will fueled by drug abuse gone wild? None of it matters really. It's not an uncommon story. It's certainly not the stuff of movies or plays or even many books.

In this case the woman finds her way through a parking lot to a hotel, not a nice hotel, a modest hotel. She starts a new life.

The man moves along. He continues getting high. He continues with his life and eventually finds himself in prison.

The couple's paths cross only legally for divorce proceedings and an argument over money.

The woman makes good decisions. The man makes bad decisions.

It's not an uncommon story. It is played out every day here and there. Most everywhere.

This version of the story has reached a partial ending: Ike Turner died at his home in San Diego yesterday, December 12, 2007. He was 76.

There has been no statement from Tina Turner at the time of this writing. She lives in Villefranche-sur-Mer, France, and Beverly Hills, California.

Rest In Peace, Ike Turner, November 5, 1931 - December 12, 2007

Ike Turner dies in San Diego at age 76

Again we see that what happens in Vegas never stays in Vegas.


Dick Mac Recommends:

The Ike & Tina Turner Story [3CD]
Ike & Tina Turner